Fuel cells are useful for generating electricity based upon an electrochemical reaction. Various fuel cell components are involved in facilitating the electrochemical reaction. For example, flow fields are established within a fuel cell for carrying the reactants involved in the electrochemical reaction. A variety of flow field configurations have been proposed.
Some flow field configurations are interdigitated. In such configurations, every other flow channel is situated different than the one immediately adjacent to it. Some of the channels begin at one edge of a plate, for example, while others begin slightly inward of that edge. The channels that begin at that edge terminate prior to an opposite edge while the others extend to the opposite edge. Such flow field configurations are known and may be useful for facilitating movement of the reactants between adjacent channels and across a gas diffusion layer. Such reactant movement tends to force the reactant closer to the catalyst layer for facilitating the electrochemical reaction.
While such flow fields may be useful, they also present challenges. For example, if the design of the channels near the inlet to the channels is not appropriately configured, that may reduce the amount of humidity in the corresponding region of the fuel cell. It is useful to maintain a desired level of humidity to avoid dry out. Manufacturing an interdigitated flow field with a configuration that facilitates a sufficient humidity level may be difficult to achieve in an economical manner.